Reversible-blade propeller.



I. B. FULLER.

REVERSIBLE BLADE P'ROPELLER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28. 1917.

1 ;i%@&@7 Patented. Dec. 24, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

1. B. FULLER, REVERSIBLE BLADE PROPELLER. I APPLICATION FlLl ED SEPT. 28. 1917- I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f E 8mm 1.5.Fuller Patented Dec. 24, 1918. E

IRWIN B. FULLER, OF MIAMI, FLORIDA.

REVERSIBLE-BLADE PRQPELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, rare.

Application filed September 28, 1917. Serial No. 193,772.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I. IRWIN B. FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Miami, in the county of Dade and State of Florida, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Reversible-Blade Propellers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to reversible blade propellers, the broad object in view being to produce an eiiicient and powerful propeller in which the blades may be turned on their longitudinal axes so as to exertpower or tractive force in either direction that is for propelling a vehicle or craft either in a for ward or backward direction, the blades being also capable of being positioned in a neutral attitude so that they will exert no tractive force in either direction.

U'ne of the chief Objects of the present invention is to produce a propeller of the general character above referred to in which the blades are so mounted in relation to the hub that they are able to withstand all the stresses to which they are subjected Without bending, distorting or otherwise impairingr injuring any or" the partsof the propeller s a whole or the means by which the blades are changed as to their pitch.

The propeller is craft designed to operate upon or below the surface of the water, in the air or on land.

The improved propeller will be found particularly advantageous when usedupon flying boats or hydroaeroplanes as said propeller will enable a flying boat to be propelled either in a forward or backward direction up or down the ways provided therefor on the shore, thus rendering it unnecessary to turn aflying boat around as is now necessary by reason of the fact that the propeller turns in only one direction. By equipping a vessel'or a flying boat with'two ofsuch propellers. one may be adjusted to pull while the other may be adjusted to push, enabling such vessel or flyingboat t be turned in a very small space.

One of the principal advantages of the improved propeller resides in the ability to reverse the direction of action of the propeller without stopping the rotation thereof thereby eliminating the heavy stresses incident to the reversal of the direction of rotation of the propeller.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of adapted for use upon anyparts, herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a. general diagrammatic View, illustrating the improved propeller and the reversing mechanism therefor.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the propeller showing the main features of.

opposite propeller blades 1 are employed.

Each of said blades is provided at the inner end thereof with a base flange or annular shoulder 2 and is also provided just beyond the shoulder 2 with a larger annular shoulder or flange 3 the purpose of wh ch l presently appear. Encircling the blade 1 ad acent to the shoulder 3 is a collar i having a fixed relation to the blade and having oppositely extending arms 5 to receive the reversing connections as will hereinafter appear.

v6 designates a. substantially disk shaped shank having flat parallel side faces and having at diametrically. opposite points annular shoulders or flanges '2' against which 'fianges two of the blades 1 rest When th parts of the'propeller are assembled. The shank 6 also comprises diametrically extending posts or journals 8 prefe y pered as shown and terminating in reduced pintles 9 as shown in Fig. 4.

Referring now to Fig. 2, a casing or propeller hub designated generally at A incloses the shank 6 and is of suliicient diameter to also inclose the shoulders or flanges 3 hereinabove referred to thereby enabling the hub to withstand the stresses produced by centrifugal action on the blades 1 under the rapid rotation of the propeller as a whole. The hub or casing A. is formed in sections each having a flange 10, the flanges being secured fixedly together by fastening means 11. The casing A is fastened to the ion.

propeller shaft 12 by any suitable .means such as screws 13 or keys as may be preferred. The shank 6 is also fastened to the shaft 12 by means of a pair of plates 14 secured fixedly to opposite sides 'of the shank 6. by fastening means 15 shown in the form .of bolts inserted through the plates 14 and the shank 6. The plates 14 have hub like projections 16 secured fixedly to the shaft 12 by fastening means 17 shown in the form of screws, although keys may be employed for that purpose.

Eachpropeller blade is fastened to the shank 6 by means of a two-part coupling 18 comprising outer and inner members, respectively, each of said members being of .annular formation and internally rabbeted as shown at 19 so as to receive and embrace the annular shoulders orflanges 2 and 7. The coupling members 18 are firmly secured together by fastening means 20 such as bolts...

The construction just described enables each of the propeller blades 1 to be turned on its longitudinal axis in relation to the shank 6 which is fastened to the propeller shaft. Each propeller blade is formed with a tapered'bore 21 to receive the respective tapered journal 8 and is also formed with a smaller extension bore 22' to receive the adjacent pintle 9 above referred to. This provides for a strong connection between the prising an outer non-rotary section, and an inner rotary section 25, the non-rotary and the rotary sections of each ring havlng thenmeeting faces formed with tongues 26 and grooves 27 as shown in Fig. 6. While the inner ring section 25 is freely rotatable with the propeller, the outer non-rotary section may beadvanced toward or retracted from the propeller, carrying with it the rotating ring section 25. The rotary ring section 25 is formed with radial inwardly extend-ing arms 28 to which are pivotally connected a pair of shifting rods 29, the other ends of which are pivotally connected to one of the arms 5 of each of the propeller blades 1. ()ther connecting rods 30' extend from the other arms 5 of the propeller blades to the rotating ring 25 of the other shifting ring 24. One or more links 32 extend from the lever 31 to the shifting ring 23-and another link or links extend from the lever 31- to the other shifting ring 24. The connecting rods '30 are ofi'set with respect tov the rods 29 so as to pass through the shifting ring 23. and its contained rotating ring 25.

Suitable operating connections 35 extend from other arms of the lever 31 to a manually controlled lever 36, and where turns are to be made in said connections, guide pulleys 37 'may be provided for that purpose. By swinging the lever 36 in one direction, the connections 35 operate on the cruciform lever 31 and through the connections described, one of the shifting rings 23 is moved toward the hub of the propeller while the other shifting ring is moved in the opposite direct-ion. By moving the lever 36 in the other direction, the direction of movement of the rings 23 and 24 is reversed.

This enables the blades of the propeller to be reversed or in other words turned so as to exert their tractive force in the opposite direction. By the same means the propeller blades may be turned to a neutral position in which the propeller will exert no tractive force on the water or atmosphere according to which agent the propeller is operating in.

The special advantage of the propeller resides in the construction and relation between the blades, the shank, and the hub as it enables the propeller to withstand all the stresses to which it may be subjected in actual use.

I claim 1. In a reversible propeller, the combination of a shank of substantially disk shape i and also embodying fastening means to hold the coupling section's together.

r In a reversible propeller, the combination of a shank of substantially disk shape formation, a propeller shaft upon which said shank is fixedly secured, annular shoulders on I tne'periphery of said shank, a plurality of propeller blades having annular shouldersat their inner ends and arranged in abutting relation to the shoulders. of the shank, a-twopart coupling for connecting each propeller blade to said shank, the coupling members being formed with annular rabbets to ,re. ceive and embrace the shoulders of the shank and the propeller blade, and also embodying fastenin means to hold the coupling sections together, each propeller blade being formed with a central longitudinal bore in the inner end thereof, and a journalextending radially outward from said shank beyond the annular shoulden thereof.

3. In a reversiblepropeller, the combina 1 tion of a shank of substantially disk shape formation, a

being formed with essee? shank is fixe ly secured, annular shoulders on the periphery of said shank, a plurality of propeller blades having annular shoulders at their inner ends and arranged in abutting relation to the shoulders of the shank a two-part coupling for connecting eachrjpi'opeller blade to said shank,.the coupling mam ers being-formed with annular rabbets to receive and embrace the shoulders of the shark-and the propeller blade, and also embodying fastening means to hold the coueach propeller blade 7 pling sections together,

a central longitudinal bore inthe inner end thereof, and, a journal extending radially outward from said shank beyond the annular shoulder thereof, said bore and journal being tapered.-

4. In a reversible propeller, the combination of a shank of substantially disk shape formation, a propeller shank-is fixedly secured, annular shoulders on the periphery of said shank, a plurality of propeller blades having annular shoulders at their inner ends and arranged in abutting relation to the shoulders of, the shank, a two-part coupling for connecting each propeller blade to said shank, the coupling members being formed with annular rabbets to receive and embrace the shoulders of the shank and the propeller blade, and also embodying fastening means to hold the coupling sections together, each on the periphery propeller blade being formed with a central longitudinal bore in the, inner end thereof, a journal extending radially outward from said shank beyond the annular shoulder thereof. said bore and journal being tapered, and a pintle projecting from the outer end of said journal, the propeller blade being counterbored' to receive said pintle.

' 5. In a reversible propeller, the combination of a shank of substantially disk shape formation, a propeller shaft upon which saidshank is fixedly secured, annular shoulders of said shank, a plurality of propeller blades having annular shoulders at-their inner ends and arranged in abutting relation to the shoulders of the shank, a twopart coupling for connecting each propeller blade to saidshank, the couplin members with annular rab ets to receive and embrace the shoulders of the shank and the propeller blade,

ropeller shaft upon which said shaft upon which said a on the periphery and also-embodying fastening means to hold the coupling sections together, and avpropeller hub comprising separable sections fastened to the propeller shaft and embracing the inner ends of the propeller blades, each propeller blade being formed adjacent to its inner end with an annular shoulder which lies Within said hub and serves to wlthstand centrifugal stresses.

6. In a reversible propeller the coinbination of a shank of substantially disk shape formatioma propeller shaft upon which said fSllilIlk is fixedly secured, annular shoulders on the periphery of said shank, a plurality of propeller blades having annular shoulders at their inner ends and arranged in abutting, relation to the shoulders of the shank, a two-' part coupling for connecting each propeller blade to said shank, the coupling members being formed with annular rabbets to receive and embrace the shgulders of the shank and the propeller blade, and also embodying fastening means to hold the coupling sections together, arms extending from the inner end portions of the propeller blades, shifting rods connected with said arms, rotating rlngs to which said rods are connected, and non-rotating shifting ringsi in which the first named rings are mounted for rotation.

7 In a reversible -propeller, the combination of a shank of substantially disk shape -iormation, a propeller shaft upon which said shank is fixedly secured, annular shoulders of said'shank, a plurality of propeller blades having annular shoulders at their inner ends'and arranged in abutting relation to the shoulders of the shank, a two-part coupling for connecting each propeller blade to said shank, the coupling members being'formedwith annular rabbets to receive and embrace the shoulders of the shank and the propeller blade, and also embodying fastening means to hold the coupling sections together, arms extending from the inner end portions of the propeller blades, shifting rods connected with said arms, rotating rings to which said rods are' connected, non-rotating shifting rings in which the first named rings are mounted for rotation, and manually controlled means for simultaneously moving said shifting rings in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof I aflix my siratureg Y IRWIN B. FUL ER. 

